Topic: Narrative Theology

Jordan means either “River” in very ancient middle eastern linguistics, or it is considered to be related to the Hebrew word “to descend” hence “the descender.”

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Now I am working on the opening illustration. To do this I must identify my direction in the sermon and my goal, and my language to express the point. The illustration should be in the same language and format as the way that the point is expressed.

Here are my four [I know, breaking the 3 point rule!] points:

Jesus is supreme over the Law; he is the highest Law, a living Law.

Jesus is supreme over the Prophets; he is the highest prophet.

Jesus is supreme over the Kingship; he is the King of Kings.

Jesus is supreme over death; he is the resurrection, conquering death.

Jesus is the supreme point; he doesn’t get rid of the former things, he fulfills them! He doesn’t throw out the law the prophets and the kingship; he overshadows them and outshines them by being the highest and the best. And he doesn’t merely despise death and act unafraid, but he took it on himself, and with death upon him, he dragged it down under the ocean and put death to death, so that with the authority to take up his own life again, he could be raised to a world where death could not threaten God’s people.

We become focused on the keeping of rules, instead of loving the man who gives us the rules [and don’t forget that he gives the law to his loved and forgiven people so that they can ENJOY him more].

We sometimes get focused on eternal life, instead of focusing on the fact that our eternal life is WITH JESUS.

We get focused on the forgiveness of sins, instead of on the freedom to be WITH JESUS that COMES FROM the forgiveness of sins.

So now to the opening illustration. It needs to focus on the above structure and language.

Options good or bad:

Addition and subtraction are lower orders to multiplication and division – when we learn the skills of multiplication and division, we don’t get rid of addition and subtraction; in fact, without addition and subraction, we wouldn’t have the foundation to understand multiplication and division. The former things are a foundation, but the later things are the goal. But there are things you learn in early math that just aren’t true, and later math has to throw them out. You can’t subtract a big number from a small number…later we find that you can. You can’t divide by zero. Later they tell you that you can. The former things you learned were limitations, but the later things are liberation from those limits.

Actually – I think I am going to stop with that, and head on to the sermon outline on paper.

Thanks for coming along for the process.

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The church we are part of:

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If you are interested in a Bible-believing church that worships in the Anglican way, and you live in the Baltimore / Annapolis area, you might consider Emmaus Anglican Church (Catonsville). Click here for the church website.

Son of God and Chosen One are both terms that mean the same thing to Jesus’ contemporaries – “King / Messiah”. Remember the Story of David’s call…

1 Sam 16.1-2, 8-11, parts of 12-13.“Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite,for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” … Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse madeShammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest,but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” … Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel tookthe horn of oiland anointed him in the midst of his brothers.And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.

If you look at Psalm 2, which is about David, you will see all these things: 1) the idea of the chosen King, 2) the Annointed/”Messiah,” 3) the Son of God, 4) enthronement on the holy mount of God.

“Son of God” is a term used by Israel and all surrounding cultures to refer to a divinely chosen and supported king. [In the New Testament, we get the nice surprise of it taking on a REAL deific meaning too]. But in the time of David, “Son of God,” meant “Messiah” meant “Chosen One” meant “King of Israel.”

See 2 Sam 7.4-16, and Ps 89. David’s son was to be king.
You would really have a big clue to the messiah if you could get someone called, “David, God’s Son, the Chosen One” and if you could catch him on God’s holy mountain.

This is what we have in the Transfiguration. Yes, it is a reference to Mt. Horeb of the Exodus, but it is also a reference to the Davidic/Messianic declaration of choice – who would be anointed, and exalted as the true “Son of God”?

Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. … He was still speaking when, behold,a bright cloud overshadowed them, anda voice from the cloud said,“This is my beloved Son,with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (from Matthew 17)

If you are interested in a Bible-believing church that worships in the Anglican way, and you live in the Baltimore / Annapolis area, you might consider Emmaus Anglican Church (Catonsville). Click here for the church website.

37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!”

Mt Horeb: Elijah was fleeing FROM his death.

(1 Kg 19.15-16) The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.

If you are interested in a Bible-believing church that worships in the Anglican way, and you live in the Baltimore / Annapolis area, you might consider Emmaus Anglican Church (Catonsville). Click here for the church website.

I don’t always preach the pre-chosen lectionary, but in this case I found it to be quite worth a sermon. Something I have to remind myself is that I don’t have to focus on each passage with equal time, or even at all. As long as I am focusing on at least ONE of the passages, I am still “preaching the word.”

If you are interested in a Bible-believing church that worships in the Anglican way, and you live in the Baltimore / Annapolis area, you might consider Emmaus Anglican Church (Catonsville). Click here for the church website.